Non-profit provides a venue for NY High school juniors and seniors to audition for HBCU marching bands

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, December 11, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Big Apple Leadership Academy for the Arts, Inc. (BALAA), the youth-centered, arts-based non-profit located in Brooklyn, NY, today announced that it will be holding New York City’s first HBCU Audition Fair & Concrete Crankfest. The event offers high school juniors and seniors a unique opportunity to meet with and audition for marching bands at multiple historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The day-long fair, which will take place in Brooklyn, will include bands from at least seven HBCUs. BALAA will also be offering audition clinics starting after the holidays to help students prepare for their auditions.

“This fair is a realization of so many of our goals as an organization,” said Dr. Jada K. John, Executive Director of BALAA. “Marching band scholarships represent a wonderful path to higher education for many students, so we thought it would be a great opportunity for the kids, as well as the schools, to bring everyone together for a day of music, learning, and fun.”

BALAA offers free afterschool music education to youth in grades PK – 12 in NYC in the form of a traditional, HBCU-style marching band. This is just one of several programs BALAA runs. The organization was created to provide creative outlets to young people in NYC, to offer them safe spaces during prime disruptive hours, and provide positive engagement opportunities for children.
Once participants are ready, they are invited to become members of Junior Empire Marching Elite (JEME), which is BALAA’s full, HBCU-style, junior marching band.

The Concrete Crankfest, which is part of the day’s programming, recreates the true HBCU battle of the bands experience. The goal is to introduce high-stepping marching band culture in real time to real New Yorkers, and inspire elected officials, philanthropists, and community stakeholders to invest in programs like BALAA that provide free music education to young people in NYC.

The HBCU Audition Fair & Concrete Crankfest is free and open to the general public. It will take place from 9 AM – 3 PM on February 19, 2024 at Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11213. In addition to auditions, the event will feature informational workshops for families that discuss the admissions process, financial aid, and student life. Participating schools include Virginia Union University, Allen University, Virginia State University, Edward Waters University, North Carolina Central University, Hampton University, and Shaw University. BALAA has extended invitations to other HBCUs and is awaiting confirmation from them.

To learn more, visit www.balaa.org/events.

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High school students should register to audition: https://www.balaa.org/events
Become a sponsor. Sponsorship information available online at https://www.balaa.org
Make a general donation to support the initiative. Donate online at https://www.balaa.org
Email us for more information: info@balaa.org

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